Leave Me Behind

Bunny watches me from the moment I step into the war room. Her gaze burns on my skin like liquid nitrogen. I can’t look at her. If I do, I’ll lose it.

It’s my fault we’re here.

My weary eyes lift to the masked asshole, to one of the monsters I’ve come all this way to kill. He isn’t the leader of the group, but it’s clear he’s one of the higher-ranked generals. I know who I’m looking for. The real question is if he’ll come out to play.

No one is questioning what this guy is doing. I bet he’s from the Hades Squad just from the sheer cockiness with which he sits back on that table. I know he’s smiling under that mask of his. Eren was always just the appetizer. They want to hurt me the most. I’m the primary target. I always have been.

It cost me Abrahm. It might cost me Bunny.

God, I hope it doesn’t. I won’t survive it.

“Aw, why are you looking so glum? Here, I know what will cheer you two up.” He slides off the table and meets me where I stop beside Bunny. She looks at me with horrified eyes, continuously glancing back at Eren. He’ll pull through. He’s been through worse.

I have to believe that or I might lose my head right now.

I keep my eyes lowered as the man lifts my chin. Bunny watches with deadly silence.

“Oh!” He laughs and bends over from the sick pleasure he’s getting out of this. “That’s why she thought you were the one dying. You’re twins. I wish you could’ve seen how upset she was. It would’ve melted your heart.” He releases my jaw roughly and circles my back. “She called you Bones. I must say, your useless brother has fucked up many things, but he didn’t fuck up when it came to keeping you safe.”

I grit my teeth and try to believe that the rest of Malum hasn’t been captured. We’re all going to die here if they have. Bunny looks at me again and this time I meet her worried eyes. She deflates at our connection and must feel the same dread and hopelessness I exert.

“Let’s see how much she cares about you. Come.” He offers his hand to her and I still. No. He won’t do this. He won’t. I jerk against the two men who restrain me, but they firm their grip on my bindings.

She stares at me, confused mostly, but her eyes tell me she knows I’ve had a hand in this. The betrayal in the set of her brow pierces straight through me. She slowly rises and walks to him.

I shake my head. “Bunny. Get away from him.”

Her eyes hold pain, but more than that they hold resolve. I know then that she’s accepted anything she’ll have to do to get us out of here. I want to tell her she’s being stupid. The captain will never let us go. Never let her go.

“I want you to play nice. If you do I won’t put a bullet in your boyfriend’s head, okay? Be good and no one dies,” he says against her bruised face and I thrash on instinct against the bindings again to no avail.

She visibly shakes but nods slowly. He turns her so she’s facing me and I instantly look away. I won’t watch. I can’t. But the men force me to the ground and a heavy boot comes down over my head, making me watch in their direction.

The man pulls his dick out and grips Bunny’s throat. He’s going to make her suck him off.

No. No. No.

I shout and struggle to stand. I manage to knock the guy standing on my head off and the second guy raises his M16 to shoot me before another booming voice fills the room.

“What’s going on in here?”

Everyone stops and turns to look at the double doors.

A man dressed in black tactical gear stands with his hands behind his back. His eyes are cold and distant, his pale blond hair slicked to the side, but he doesn’t look at anyone except my precious Bunny.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

He takes her in like he’s seeing a ghost. His dark brows lift and his sharp jaw feathers as he swallows.

Bunny’s breath of shock moves through me like cold water. She murmurs as though she has seen a ghost as well, “Jenkins?”